Groundhog prooofing a garden

[spotted_draft_x_fill]

I’m planning on setting up a garden in my back yard and while mapping out where I wanted to put it, we had a visitor. A groundhog! So I put off setting one up for this year and started looking into ways to keep them out.

I have found several ways to try to keep them out including putting a layer of mesh fencing on the ground. I was thinking of using chicken wire all around to help keep out the birds and cats anyways. Would that be strong enough to keep that little thief out too? I was planning on using raised beds anyways with really good soil.

What have you done to keep them out besides using concrete slabs?

[SmartAlex]

Chicken wire will deter them, but it doesn’t have a very long life. What you want is hardware cloth at least. The half inch squares. We dug 2x6 pressure treated buried in the ground and stapled the hardware cloth to it. They (probably) won’t dig under a fence just to get to your plants. Munching will be easy access items. The digging under comes into play when they are setting up house. But they will want to dig under a large object for their burrow. So most likely under a building or a deck etc.

Of course if they are really hungry or really thirsty, they may do anything. Heck they can climb a tree, so a little ole garden fence is no big deal.

[spotted_draft_x_fill]

Thanks! This little groundhog has already raided my neighbors garden. I’ve seen it munching on her flowers and now they have a small pond in the middle, so it should be satisfied at their place lol.

It’s burrow is under my neighbor’s shed behind where I want to set up my garden, so i definitely want to try not to set up an all you can eat buffet. I plan on enclosing the whole thing to help keep the other critters out and will definitely look into the hardware cloth.

[merrygoround]

If you also add a hot wire 2-4 inches off the ground, it will keep them from burrowing under fences or buildings.

[spotted_draft_x_fill]

Really? Unfortunately we’re not allowed to set up electric fencing.

[candyappy]

Why not trap it and be done with it? The last thing you want is more of their holes around. Especially if you have horses on the property.

[DHCarrotfeeder]

[QUOTE=spotted draft x filly;8166436]
I’m planning on setting up a garden in my back yard and while mapping out where I wanted to put it, we had a visitor. A groundhog! So I put off setting one up for this year and started looking into ways to keep them out.

I have found several ways to try to keep them out including putting a layer of mesh fencing on the ground. I was thinking of using chicken wire all around to help keep out the birds and cats anyways. Would that be strong enough to keep that little thief out too? I was planning on using raised beds anyways with really good soil.

What have you done to keep them out besides using concrete slabs?[/QUOTE]

If you put in chicken wire and bury the bottom 12" flaring outward, it will discourage them.

There are no guarantees. If you get a really creative one you may need to give it lead poisoning.

[spotted_draft_x_fill]

[QUOTE=candyappy;8168833]
Why not trap it and be done with it? The last thing you want is more of their holes around. Especially if you have horses on the property.[/QUOTE]

We’re not on a farm and this one isn’t the only one around here according to the neighbors.

[SmartAlex]

And groundhogs are notoriously hard to kill. They are too wary to shoot… my neighbor finally lost patience and shot through his screen door because as soon as you open the door the varmint scampers. They are not easy to trap, and if you do get them trapped you have to kill them right then because you won’t get a second chance. Around here large farms actually organize woodchuck shoots and offer a bounty.

What every farm needs is a good chuck dog or team of chuck dogs.

[Foxglove]

I’ve trapped all the groundhogs on my 20 acres. Used to be many, many burrows along the fence lines. Generally, I’m told, groundhogs make one burrow in the woods, and a second in the field to allow safe escape from predators. Any time we found one, we “smoked” it to find the other openings (lit newspaper tossed in, spray with water, make smoke). Tried a few ways to discourage, then we got discouraged. Started live trapping. Neighbor suggested never cleaning the cage as one groundhog’s poop would attract another. Worked for us. Sometimes we used lettuce. Be aware that other critters will live in the holes, too. Over the years I caught 'coons, cats, possums, skunks, and squirrels. I release everything in a state park far, far from my house --except the cats I have neutered/spayed and release back on the farm. BUT I do not release groundhogs. They go to groundhog heaven as I worry that any release will result in a hole that some horse will step in --maybe not mine, but there are lots of horses in my area.

As one poster pointed out, a good dog is an asset. We had a JRT who would go down and drag the groundhogs out of their dens and dispatch them on the way to the surface. Quick and clean. Still miss that dog.

As “cute” as the critters are, a horse stepping into a groundhog hole is a horrible thought --especially at speed. We use our fence lines for conditioning. Our method of dispatch is quick.

Foxglove

[SmartAlex]

[QUOTE=Foxglove;8169933]
As “cute” as the critters are, a horse stepping into a groundhog hole is a horrible thought --especially at speed.[/QUOTE]

I even worry about stepping near the hole and going through the tunnel roof especially during the wet season. Every time the hay fields are mowed I re-check my usual gallop. I don’t want a chuck hole within 50 feet of my route. I can usually spot Chuck territory along ditches or on old high spots but I’ve also found them on flat, wide open ground.

[mkevent]

I had some luck stuffing used kitty litter down the holes. I had to repeat it a few times during the season, but it seemed to work fairly well.

I also found out that they really love green beans. I stopped planting green beans after one season because it wasn’t worth the hassle. The groundhogs won on that front. They didn’t bother the peppers, tomatoes or zucchini.